Marriotsville, MD, July 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bon Secours Health System and four of Bon Secours’ local health systems have been recognized among the nation’s Most Wired, according to the results of the 18th annual 2016 Most Wired Survey conducted by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum. The designation is based on the results of the Association’s annual Most Wired Survey, which examines how organizations are leveraging information technology to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management; quality and safety; and clinical integration. Organizations must meet the criteria in each section to achieve Most Wired status.
Bon Secours Health System, Marriottsville, Maryland; Bon Secours Baltimore Health System, Baltimore, Maryland; Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Greenville, South Carolina; Bon Secours Virginia Health System, Hampton Roads and Richmond, Virginia; and Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, Bon Secours Kentucky Health System, Ashland, Kentucky, were all recognized as Most Wired.
Bon Secours Health System and Bon Secours Baltimore were among just nine hospitals or health systems in Maryland to be recognized with Most Wired status. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System was also one of only seven in South Carolina to be recognized. Our Lady of Bellefonte was one of only five hospitals in Kentucky to receive Most Wired distinction. Bon Secours Virginia Health System, which includes eight acute care hospitals, was one of only nine hospitals or health systems in Virginia to be recognized.
The Most Wired Survey focuses on four main areas: infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration. Organizations must meet the criteria in each section to achieve Most Wired status. If any of these requirements are not met, then the organization does not achieve the Most Wired designation. Thus, an organization may have many advanced capabilities, yet not achieve Most Wired status.
A key element in Bon Secours’ success in obtaining Most Wired recognition is the system’s efforts to implement Bon Secours ConnectCare, the health system’s electronic medical record (EMR) system. Bon Secours ConnectCare was first launched in July 2008 at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville, South Carolina. Today, ConnectCare has been implemented throughout Bon Secours Health System’s acute hospital, ambulatory, and physician practice settings. In eight years, the health system has become a recognized leader in the implementation and use of the EMR system—its success, in large part, due to the strong leadership of clinical, operational, and technology teams.
“The full implementation of our electronic medical records is an affirmation of our team’s commitment to providing safe and exceptional care for our patients,” said Raymond McCue, MD, MBA, Medical Director of Patient Safety for Bon Secours Health System and Regional Vice President of Clinical Services for Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System. “The real-time coordination between the hospitalist (as attending physician) and subspecialists (as consultants) allow us to efficiently and effectively manage each patient’s diagnostics, their results, and timely disposition of treatment.”
Bon Secours has also been a leader in redefining the way that people obtain care in their communities by using technology to give individuals electronic access to their care team. Earlier this year, Bon Secours launched Bon Secours 24/7™ in several of its markets. This virtual visit service allows users to tap an app to connect within minutes with a Bon Secours medical provider via a mobile device or tablet or through a secure website from their computer.
“Hospitals are breaking out of their traditional four walls and providing care where and when patients need it,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA. “These Most Wired hospitals exemplify this transformation by harnessing technology, engaging patients, and offering services remotely.”
HealthCare’s Most Wired® survey, conducted between January 15 and March 15, 2016, is published annually by Health & Hospitals Networks (H&HN). The 2016 Most Wired® survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The survey had 680 participants, representing an estimated 2,146 hospitals—more than 34 percent of all hospitals in the U.S.
About Bon Secours Health System
Bon Secours Health System, headquartered in Marriottsville, Maryland, a $3.5 billion not-for-profit Catholic health system, owns, manages, or joint ventures 19 acute-care hospitals, one psychiatric hospital, five nursing care facilities, four assisted living facilities, and several home care and hospice programs. Bon Secours’ more than 23,000 caregivers help people in ten communities in six states, primarily on the East Coast. For more information, visit the website at www.bshsi.org.
About the American Hospital Association
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit www.aha.org.
About Health Forum
Health Forum is a strategic business enterprise of the American Hospital Association, creatively partnering to develop and deliver essential information and innovative services to help health care leaders achieve organizational performance excellence and sustainability. For more information, visit www.healthforum.com
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